Tongue blade dispenser



Sept. 20, 1966 s. E. THOMPSON TONGUE BLADE DISPENSER Filed July 28, 1965 Jzan/ey E. Thom 2.: on

INVENTOR.

BY (l? 11 TTORNE YS United States Patent 3,273,749 TONGUE BLADE DISPENSER Stanley E. Thompson, 202 S. 4th St, Richmond, Tex. Filed July 28, 1965, Ser. No. 475,346 6 Claims. (Cl. 221239) This inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in a dispenser for tongue blades or similar items.

It is well known that tongue blades and the like are usually stored or kept in a jar in doctors offices, nurses stations, hospitals or the like and that to grip one of the tongue blades the user must insert a hand in the jar which may thereby render the remaining tongue blades unfit to use because of contamination by the hand of the user.

When the tongue blades are stored in jars, the blades are placed therein in a random haphazard manner with the result that when it is desired to grip one tongue blade all of the tongue blades are likely to become contaminated as mentioned above.

Further, a satisfactory place to store the jar is diflicult to find because the jar must always be within reach so that the tongue blades are accessible for use but yet the jar should not be positioned such that it is the only accessible item.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and useful means for dispensing tongue blades or the like wherein the tongue blades are easily accessible but yet may be stored efficiently and economically.

It is another object of this invention to provide new and useful improvements in tongue blade dispensers wherein the tongue blades may be positioned in a stacked relationship in a dispenser and available for use one at a time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved means in the dispensing of stacked tongue blades wherein there is provided a tongue blade housing having a means mounted with the housing for engaging the lowermost stacked tongue blade for movement relative to the housing and a gripping means for gripping the lowermost tongue blade after it has been moved.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tongue blade dispenser wherein the tongue blade dispenser is adapted to be mounted on a wall with a wall spacer means and the wall spacer means may incorporate therewith other units for supporting and holding surgical devices.

The preferred embodiment of this invention will be described hereinafter together with other features thereof and additional objects will become evident from such description. The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a front plan view of the tongue blade dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a side view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser illustrating a portion of the guide means.

Briefly, the invention relates to a tongue blade dispenser wherein the tongue blades may be inserted in a stacked relationship within the dispenser and a means provided for moving the tongue blades to a position whereby the tongue blades may be easily gripped by a doctor or nurse, and the like, for use with a patent.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the letter A designates generally the tongue blade dispenser of this invention which includes a housing 1 having two substantially parallel sides 10 and 11 which may act as container walls for the stacked tongue blades 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the

3,273,749 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 housing 1 may be provided with a retainer wall 13 which is attached by any suitable manner to the substantially parallel walls 10 and 11 and which has mounted therewith at one end a gripping means or serrated edges designated generally at 14 which perform a function to be brought out hereafter.

The housing 1 may also be provided with a slidable door 15 slidably attached to the container walls 10 and 11 and parallel to the retainer wall 13 which is adapted to move longitiudinally relative to the dispenser A to facilitate the insertion of tongue blades 12 in the dispenser A. The housing 1 is also provided with a bottom 16 which is attached to the container walls 10 and 11 in any suitable manner and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the slidable wall or door 15 rests on the upper surface of the bottom 16 when it is not being moved relative to the dispenser A to insert tongue blades therein. The bottom 16 is also provided with a longitudinal slot 17 which is used in a manner to be discussed hereafter.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the dispenser A is provided with a dispenser plate 18 which is supported by the top surface of the bottom 16 and which'is adapted to receive the stacked tongue blades 12. The dispenser plate 18 is provided with a means or flange 19 mounted at one end thereof which extends perpendicularly to the plate 18 and is connected in any suitable manner to the plate 18. The flange extends upwardly relative to the walls 10 and 11 and is adapted to engage the lowermost tongue blade or is of a sufficient height to engage only the lowermost tongue blade of the stacked tongue blades 12. AS mentioned above, the retainer wall 13 has mounted therewith at its lower endthe serrations 14, which are adjacent the bottom 16. As illustrated in FIG. 2, between the serrations 14 and the dispenser plate 18, is an opening 20 which may be used in a manner to be brought out hereafter.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG 3, mounted with the bottom surface of the dispenser plate 18 and extending therefrom is a guide button or means 21 which also extends through the slot 17 in the bottom 16 of the housing and which is adapted to serve as a guide for the dispenser plate 18 when the plate is moved longitudinally relative to the bottom 16 to prevent the dispenser plate 18 from excessive longitudinal or lateral movement relative to the dispenser A. It should be noted that the guide button 21 is provided with a head (not numbered) to prevent the button from slipping or being pulled through the opening 17 as the plate 18 is moved.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the dispenser A may be provided with a spacer 22 which is mounted with the outer surface of the container wall 11 in any suitable manner, and which is adapted to be positioned to the room wall of a doctors olfice or a nurses station and the like, for securing the dispenser A to the wall and for acting as a spacer to move the dispenser A a slight distance from the wall. It is to be noted that the container wall 10 may be provided with an opaque window 23 on container wall 10 relative to the dispenser A which is for viewing the number of stacked dispenser blades 12 which may be in the dispenser A and for replenishing the supply of tongue blades if necessary.

In the operation of the invention, the dispenser plate 18, which extends from the dispenser A through the opening 20, may be moved or pulled longitudinally outwardly to an extended position with respect to the bottom 16. This pulling movement engages the flange 19 with the lowermost tongue blade as illustrated in FIG. 2, which permits the tongue blade to move outwardly to the extended position with the dispenser plate 18 as it is pulled therealong.

When the dispenser plate 18 has pulled the tongue blade a satisfactory distance to allow the tongue blade to be gripped by a user, the dispenser plate may be pushed upwardly or moved upwardly to engage the lowermost tongue blade with the gripping surface or serrations 14, which leaves the tongue blade extending from the serrations and capable of being gripped by the user. The dispenser plate 18 may then be moved inwardly or pressed inwardly to its retracted position relative to the bottom 16 for engagement of the flange 19 with the next lowermost tongue blade. During this operation, the guide button 21 serves as a guide for the plate 18 and prevents the plate 18 from being pulled completely out of the dispenser A because the guide button will engage the surface of the bottom 16 adjacent the opening 17. The guide button 21 also prevents the dispenser plate 18 from being moved or pushed too far upwardly when the dispenser plate is moved upwardly to engage the lowermost tongue blade with the serrations 14 but of course does not prevent the lowermost tongue blade on the plate 18 from being gripped by the gripping surface 14.

As mentioned, the slidable door 15 may be moved for inserting more tongue blades when the dispenser A is empty, or when the number of stacked tongue blades has been sufliciently reduced to warrant refilling thereof and the window 23, which may be opaque or transparent may be used for determining the number of tongue blades 12 in the dispenser A.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for holding stacked tongue blades, comprising:

(a) a housing for receiving stacked tongue blades,

(b) said housing having substanitally parallel container walls and having a bottom attached to said container walls,

(c) gripping means attached to said parallel walls at one end thereof and spaced above said bottom to provide an opening,

(d) a dispenser plate supported by said bottom of said housing and disposed for receiving a stack of the tongue blades thereon and adapted to be moved back and forth from a retracted position to an extended position,

(e) means with said plate for engaging the lowermost of the tongue blades for moving same with said plate as it is laterally moved toward said opening, and

(f) said plate being movable upwardly when in said extended position to engage the upper surface of the lowermost tongue blade with said gripping means for holding the lowermost tongue blade to prevent retraction thereof upon a return of said plate to said retracted position.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1, including:

(a) means mounting said plate in said housing for guiding said plate as it is laterally moved in a direction towards said opening.

3. A dispenser for holding stacked tongue blades, comprising:

(a) a housing for receiving stacked tongue blades,

(b) said housing having substantially parallel container walls and having a bottom attached to said container walls,

() said housing also having a retainer wall attached to said container walls,

(d) gripping means mounted with said retainer wall at one end thereof and spaced above said bottom to provide an opening,

(e) a dispenser plate supported by said bottom of said housing and disposed for receiving a stack of tongue the blades thereon and adapted to be moved back and forth from a retracted position to an extended position,

(-f) means with said plate for engaging the lowermost of the tongue blades for moving same with said palte as it is laterally moved toward said opening,

(g) said plate being movable upwardly when in said extended position to engage the upper surface of the lowermost tongue blade with said gripping means for holding the lowermost tongue blade to prevent retraction thereof upon a return of said plate to said retracted position, and

(h) means mounting said plate in said housing for guiding said plate as it is laterally moved in a direction towards said opening.

4. A dispenser for holding stacked tongue blades, comprising:

(a) a housing for receiving stacked tongue blades,

(b) said housing having substantially parallel container walls and having a bottom attached to said container walls,

(c) said housing having a retainer wall attached to said container walls and having a lower edge thereof spaced above said bottom to form an opening,

( d) gripping serrations disposed at the lower edge of said retainer wall and adjacent said opening,

(e) said housing also having a slidable door attached to said container walls for slidable longitudinal movement relative to the walls and transverse to said bottom to facilitate the insertion of tongue blades within the housing,

(f) a dispenser plate supported by said bottom of said housing and disposed for receiving a stack of the tongue blades thereon and adapted to be moved back and forth from a retracted position to an extended position,

(g) a flange attached perpendicularly and extending upwardly for engaging the lowermost of the tongue blades for moving same with said plate as it is laterally moved toward said opening, and

(b) said plate being moved upwardly when in said extended position to engage the upper surface of the lowermost tongue blade with said serrations for holding the lowermost tongue blade to prevent retraction thereof upon a return of said plate to said retracted position.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 4, including:

(a) a window in one of said substantially parallel container walls for determining the number of stacked tongue blades that are within said housing, and

(b) a spacer mounted with the outer surface of the other of said parallel container walls for positioning said housing on the wall of a room and spaced therefrom to facilitate the removal of each tongue blade as dispensed.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

(a) said bottom of said housing has a longitudinal slot therein, and

(b) said means mounting said plate includes a guide button extending from said plate and through said slot in said bottom for guiding said plate back and forth from said retracted position to said extended position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,522 6/1909 Wurzburger 221239 X 1,587,114 6/ l926 Goudeau 2-21267 X 2,560,327 7/1951 Bergman 221276 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR HOLDING STACKED TONGUE BLADES, COMPRISING: (A) A HOUSING FOR RECEIVING STACKED TONGUE BLADES, (B) SAID HOUSING HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CONTAINER WALLS, (C) GRIPPING MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID PARALLEL WALLS AT ONE END THEREOF AND SPACED ABOVE SAID BOTTOM TO PROVIDE AN OPENING, (D) A DISPENSER PLATE SUPPORTED BY SAID BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING AND DISPOSED FOR RECEIVING A STACK OF THE TONGUE BLADES THEREON AND ADAPTED TO BE MOVED BACK AND FORTH FROM A RETRACTED POSITION TO AN EXTENDED POSITION, (E) MEANS WITH SAID PLATE FOR ENGAGING THE LOWERMOST OF THE TONGUE BLADES FOR MOVING SAME WITH SAID PLATE AS IT IS LATERALLY MOVED TOWARD SAID OPENING, AND (F) SAID PLATE BEING MOVABLE UPWARDLY WHEN IN SAID EXTENDED POSITION TO ENGAGE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LOWERMOST TONGUE BLADE WITH SAID GRIPPING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE LOWERMOST TONGUE BLADE TO PREVENT RETRACTION THEREOF UPON A RETURN OF SAID PLATE TO SAID RETRACTED POSITION. 